With World Cup fever about to grip the entire planet there really hasn’t been a better time to download a soccer-related game to your Android phone. The trouble is that the platform has been starved of a digital decent kick about almost since day one. Thankfully Gameloft has stepped up to the challenge by porting over its popular Real Football 2010 title from Apple’s iPhone.
A veteran of mobile gaming for some time, the Real Football franchise is seen by many as the only “premier league” option for portable footy fanatics. Almost from the moment you boot up the game it’s clear why this is the case – the presentation and sheer range of options is incredible, putting Real Football 2010 on par with most fully-fledged home console representations of the sport.
The usual exhibition and training modes are available but Real Football 2010 also boasts a full season component where you can pick a club side and lead them to glory throughout an entire campaign. Not only do you control the action on the pitch but you also take care of the day-to-day organisation of the club, making this a lot like the classic “Player Manager” titles of old.
There’s even the option to take your skills online and play against other people in the Real Football League, which is essentially a leader board that ranks the best players in the world.
Of course with the 2010 World Cup about to start there’s the obligatory Cup mode which allows you to replicate the thrills and spills of the planet’s biggest sporting spectacle. To round things off there’s the awkwardly-named “Enter the Legend” mode, which is a clone of similar modes seen in EA’s FIFA and Konami’s Pro Evo Soccer. Here you only control one player as opposed to the entire team, and it’s your job to guide your digital avatar to fame and glory.
As if all this wasn’t enough you can also tinker around with the game’s comprehensive Editor mode. This allows you to effectively create your own team and re-name certain players. From here you can also connect to Gameloft’s database to download the latest team rosters. Although Real Football 2010 doesn’t feature actual club sides (Manchester United are Manchester Red, for example) it does boast authentic player names.
After such an overwhelming collection of modes and options, actually getting into the game mode itself feels like something of an anticlimax. The visuals are seriously impressive, and like Gameloft’s other Android titles Real Football 2010 proves what a yawning gap there is between the developer’s output and that of its rivals.
Considering the limitations of a touchscreen interface the controls manage to hold up pretty well – players are commanded using a virtual D-pad and the interface is kept to a minimum by only using two buttons: one for pass and one for shoot. These controls change depending on the context of the action, though. For example, the shoot button unleashes a sliding tackle if you’re not in possession of the ball.
The game engine is surprisingly complicated with various commands unlocking cunning tricks such as feints, turns and other creative play. The slippery and often imprecise nature of the controls can take some getting used to but once you do you’ll find yourself skilfully twisting and turning around the opposition before pulling the trigger on long-distance shots on goal.
As usual, Gameloft’s distribution method means that Real Football 2010 isn’t available for download direct from the Android Market, so you’ll have to visit Gameloft’s site and then wait for an SMS message to arrive that contains the download link.
If you’re looking forward to the World Cup in South Africa then Real Football 2010 is the ideal way to get yourself even more in the mood. It’s packed with content and boasts game play that most people would pay four times as much for.
(From:http://www.knowyourmobile.com/)
Real Football 2010 v1.0
Real Football 2010 v1.4.4
